Dr. Devon Lee is CURE’s Program and Training Director. Dr. Lee is a data-informed storyteller, scholar-activist, and change agent working at the intersections of racial equity, public health, and social justice. Born in Inglewood, California, and raised in Long Beach, he brings a deeply personal and community-centered perspective to his work, shaped by lived experience and a commitment to advancing health and racial equity.
As a husband and father of four, Dr. Lee’s work is inspired by the urgent need to address systemic disparities that disproportionately impact Black families. During his wife’s pregnancy with their son Quest, he confronted the stark reality that Black women and infants were significantly more likely to face complications or death during childbirth. Leveraging his background in education, activism, and data-driven solutions, he developed anti-racism tools and built cross-sector partnerships to transform systems and improve outcomes for Black mothers and babies in Solano County California through his partnership with Solano Health Equity for African American Lives (HEALS) to lower Black Infant Mortality and Mothering Death.
Dr. Lee has been a national thought leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across industries. He has provided inclusive hiring training to over 10,000 recruiters, hiring managers, and talent acquisition leaders, shaping DEI strategy in the tech and corporate sectors. His scholarship and publications explore themes of racial justice, Pan-Africanist praxis, and the intersection of social policy and health equity.
Dr. Lee holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Virginia Tech, a Master’s in African and African American Studies from the University of Kansas, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and African and African American Studies from the University of California, Davis. His work has been recognized with national awards for leadership in DEI and health equity, underscoring his impact as a change agent dedicated to transforming systems for the betterment of historically marginalized communities.